k thanks my topbar is hand built and when it was finished i notice it had some gaps in there i guess the wood i used was slightly warped or something since it belonged to someone else and might not have been treated good

Do yuall have to register your hives. Haven't heard that one yet here. In fact I was talking to a member of the local bee club about how many hives he has, he got to figuring and said he's got close to 80 he quess. So I don't think we have to register our hives here. That like I tried to get a bee inspector to look at the hives I bought. He asked if they were going out of the county or state they were located in, they weren't so he wouldn't come inspect them.

In PA the law requires inspection. And registration. However there is little funding for the inspection program If they inspect,they are looking at the bees. The only requirement for the equipment is movable frames for inspection purpose. Gaps in hive bodies are not an offense of any kind.http://www.pastatebeekeepers.org/inspection.htmA lot of people do not bother. Let your conscience be your guide.Do you like sporadic inspections and want to pay the ten dollars every other year? I know of noone who has been targeted for not registering unless you have a sick hive and infect someone elses. Pay heed they can only enforce foul brood infections,and make suggestion on mite infections.I was told that last year one of the inspectors was quite inexperienced and probably should not have been doing the job,but that is only heresay.

As budget money is short,most inspectors are tied up with commercial keepers and queen sellers. As a single or low number hive owner,you may never hear from them other than to renew your registration in two years.